Growth stress generation: A new mechanical model of the dimensional change of wood cells during maturation

Abstract

A new mechanical model was developed to introduce the maturation process of wood cells theoretically. Using mechanical and physical properties of the two components of the cell wall, namely, a matrix reinforced by oriented cellulose microfibrils, it is possible to predict the relation between the anisotropic released strains and the microfibril angle. The model used in this study is based on the unified hypothesis combining the compressive stress generated in the cell wall matrix and the tensile stress originating in the cellulose microfibril as a framework. It is simple compared to the previously derived multilayered model, but it does not strictly fulfill all conditions of static equilibrium. Nevertheless, an excellent fit with observations can be obtained through varying a limited number of parameters. © The Japan Wood Research Society 1999.